Independence House plans to open shelter in October

Thursday

A transition in domestic violence emergency shelter services is underway on Cape Cod, as state funding moves from one nonprofit agency to another.

Independence House, Inc., in Hyannis plans to open a new emergency shelter with room for seven beds by Oct. 15, under a new 10-year state contract, Executive Director Lysetta Hurge-Putnam said.

Cape Cod Shelter and Domestic Violence Services in Falmouth closed its shelter with four beds on June 30, due to the loss of its 10-year state contract, board treasurer Margaret French said. The two remaining clients at the shelter in Falmouth were “safely relocated,” French said. “Things went very smoothly,” she said.

Of the three-month gap between the closure of the Falmouth shelter and the opening of one run by Independence House, Hurge-Putnam said the location of the emergency shelter on the Cape, whether in Falmouth or elsewhere, is not necessarily to support the needs of Cape residents. If after an assessment of an individual’s issues an emergency shelter is needed, then a safe placement for a Cape resident could very well be in another part of the state.

“These are statewide shelters,” she said. “It’s for anyone in Massachusetts.”

Typically, of the thousands of local people served by Independence House, the vast majority use other options besides an emergency shelter, Hurge-Putnam said. However, “if someone walked into Independence House and was in imminent danger, I assure you it is our obligation to help that person find a safe spot,” she said.

In the interim, Independence House will assist survivors in using SafeLink, a statewide domestic violence hotline that maintains a listing of available shelter beds across the state, according to the state Department of Public Health. Survivors seeking emergency shelter are not often placed in the community or region where they live for reasons of safety and confidentiality as well as availability, according to the department.

“DPH is confident that the services and programs provided by Independence House will support domestic violence survivors on the Cape and, most importantly, will meet the requirements that are necessary for a survivor’s health and safety,” state public health department spokeswoman Ann Scales said.

The state has awarded more than $34 million in contracts annually for the next three years to 68 nonprofit agencies, including Independence House, to provide emergency shelter, crisis intervention, housing stabilization and other services to survivors of sexual and domestic violence.

Until now, Independence House has offered resources, counseling and advocacy to address and prevent domestic and sexual violence. Running a shelter will be a new service and part of the nonprofit’s vision, Hurge-Putnam said.

In their review of the Falmouth shelter’s application for funding, state public health officials cited concerns about safety and staffing. In addition, the proposal by Independence House represented a “stronger proposal for geographic area,” according to the review.

In response to the loss of funding, leaders at Cape Cod Shelter and Domestic Violence Services expect to undergo a strategic discussion about the nonprofit’s future, French said.

The most recent shelter property, which the nonprofit purchased in April 2016, was under state contract for four families but with room for expansion. Now the intention is to sell the property, French said. “It’s our largest asset,” she said.

In the third week of June, nonprofit managers decided to close the shelter during the daylight hours for the weekend of June 24-25. After the nonprofit managers shared the plan with the two remaining clients, one of the clients contacted the Times with concerns about “having nowhere else to go.”

“I’d have to sleep on the streets,” said the client, who asked for anonymity due to concerns about safety.

Although the nonprofit did end up fully staffing the shelter on that weekend, after receiving a call from the Times, Rabideau said the plan to shut the shelter during daylight hours had been based on being unable to staff the shelter. Only a “skeleton crew” remained, given the pending closure, she said. Also, typically, those hours were at a time when the shelter is empty of clients anyway, she said.

— Follow Mary Ann Bragg on Twitter: @maryannbraggCCT.

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